A welcome difference
by Beazley
Summary: He was her friend and she never thought he would be something else. Until that afternoon he came to help with her garden.


**It seems that I can't stop writing for Baxley, so here you have my new fic. It's based on the prompt: _Imagine your OTP having sex before they have their first date._**

 **Reviews are welcome and appreciated.**

 **As usual, sorry for any grammatical mistakes you can spot. Hope it doesn't interfere with the reading.**

 **Diclaimer: I don't own DA and Baxley.**

* * *

 **A welcome difference**

The first thing Phyllis noticed when she woke up was the heady atmosphere of her bedroom. As she opened her eyes and her vision got slightly blinded by the afternoon summer light. Little by little she began noticing other things too; the chirping of the birds that had decided to nest in the oak of her garden; and not so far away she distinguished the merry laughters of Mrs Robinson's boys as they had fun in their swimming pool.

She could stay like this for hours, she decided sighing contentedly and snuggling deeper in her pillow.

When she was about to fall asleep again, Joe's soft snoring at the back of her neck woke her up again. A lazy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as her mind went back to the thrilling hours spent with the man now in her bed. The endless exploration of each other's bodies had left them so exhausted that the current nap they were taking was very welcome indeed.

It had been impulsive and crazy, but also loving and gentle. Thinking back, she couldn't remember what had triggered the pent-up desire within her. Maybe it had been his diligence while trying to spruce her garden, or his sincere compliments on her lunch, or his shy smile at her light teasing, or how their fingers had found each other accidentally underwater when they were washing the dishes; or the smell of him when she reached to kiss his cheek when he was about to leave.

A kiss that was followed by another one on the corner of his mouth and another one on his lower lip, while his arms had shyly slipped around her waist, pulling her closer.

He never left.

It didn't matter that they were workmates or the fact that they hadn't gone out on a proper date yet. Phyllis wouldn't regret what they had done. Joe Molesley had been a delightful discovery and she couldn't wait to get to know him more, in and out of bed.

As if reading her thoughts, Joe grunted in his sleep and slipped his arm around her waist, drawing her tightly against his chest. The rise and fall of his breathing made her smile. It had been years since she had experienced utter satisfaction with a man beside her. Her queen size bed, now seemed small with him curled in the middle of it and her perilously close to the edge. She didn't mind at all; she had never felt so safe in her life. And it was entirely thanks to him.

Joe was one of the good men; she'd known that since their first chat beside the coffee machine at work. Nice, polite and with a touch of shyness that had been lingering in her mind for weeks. But it had been the feeling that he wouldn't hurt her what had ultimately drawn her to him.

He wasn't like Peter and that was definitely a good change.

His breath had begun to tickle her exposed skin, and for a moment she considered waking him up. She buckled softly against him and found that a part of him was already up, solid and prodding against her lower back. A soft long moan threatened to escape from her mouth when she felt his arm on her waist sliding up to her chest and his hand cupped her breast gently in his sleep.

During her relationship with Peter, the only one that had made any sort of significance in her love life, she had never woken up with him embracing her like this. She lowered her head to look at his hand kneading her breast softly. The touch was so loving, so delicate, with his fingers grazing her nipple, hardening it in no time. She moaned, half from the pleasure, half from the shock of his actions. He squeezed it, applying a soft but firm pressure to the hardened bud; enough to send a jolt of desire right through her.

When she felt him trailing soft kisses down her neck, she turned around to see his still sleepy face.

"Hey" she whispered capturing his lips gently in hers.

"Hey" he murmured moving his arm down to her waist and drawing her close. After they broke the kiss his lips when back to worship her neck and she tilted her head backwards in her pillow to grant him more access.

"Slept well?" she asked

His affirmative answer was muffled against her skin. The arm of her waist drifted slowly down her hip and his hand moved downwards with exquisite deliberation until he found the heat between her legs. Phyllis shifted them to allow him further exploration and gently, he parted her folds, sliding one finger into her.

"Good God Phyllis" he whispered grazing his teeth along her neck, making her shiver in desire. His other hand went to her breast, his palm rubbing over her hardened peak. If he continued like this, she thought, she would reach her climax even before they properly started. "You feel amazing" she heard him say, his voice filled with lust, as he continued pleasuring her.

His thumb grazed almost unconsciously over the bundle of nerves, sending shockwaves through her entire body and making her plunged forward to kiss him hungrily. Her hand slid downward, caressing his chest and stomach. He trembled as her fingertips brushed against his lenght. She smiled wickedly against his unrestrained moan.

"You like it?" she whispered between kisses.

His answer was to attack her neck again, sucking on her skin as she continue to pleasure him with soft and hard strokes. She realised hours ago how good he was with his mouth, but the feeling now was as exciting as the first time. He nibbled, and kissed, and sucked from her shoulder to her earlobe.

"God, you're so sexy" he grunted against her throat before licking her pulse spot. The feel of his tongue and his deep voice resonating through her body make her insides spasm. When her nails raked along his lenght, he jumped and looked at her with dark eyes.

"If you keep doing that, I don't think I'll be able to last long" he panted.

"That's the idea" she replied sultrily

The movement of his hand on her sex increased, thrusting erratically as his thumb continued its good job on her most sensitive part and guiding her towards a mindblowing climax. But still, it wasn't enough. She wanted more. She wanted to feel him inside of her as she drowned in ecstasy.

She stilled her movements and with her other hands she grabbed the one between her legs, moving it away, regretting almost instantly the lost of connection.

"Joe" she panted "please"

He kissed her hungrily and let her rolled him over, straddling his thighs after lunging across the bed to grab a condom from her nightstand drawer. Swiftly, she rolled it onto him and raised her hips to let him sank into her. Both moaned in unison and tried to match their already desperate rhythms.

He sat up to embrace her and trailed a line of clumsy kisses from her throat all the way down her breasts before latching on her nipple. Her hands gripped his short hair, forcing his face up. Their gazes locked for a fraction of a second, enough time to stir a memory within her. Something she had done their first time that it had driven him crazy. She took one of his hands from her waist and brought it to her mouth. Joe's eyes widened in shock and she couldn't help the feeling of self-satisfaction at the sound of his long, unrestrained moan.

At some point, he rolled them over and laid her on the bed and before she could even complain, he had sheathed himself into her again. Their combinations of grunts and moans filling every nook and cranny of her bedroom.

"You close?" he panted, his voice close to her ear, his teeth tugging her earlobe lightly.

Unable to produce a coherent answer, she moaned and lifted her hips upwards to meet his thrusts.

"Phyllis… I don't think I can hold much longer"

His movements become more frantic in his purpose to lead her to her release. It was so close now; the warm and tingling sensation coiling in the pit of her stomach ready to burst at any moment. As she began to lose control, the need to hold on something that kept her from falling apart emerged. She grabbed both his arms and pulled him to her. Her legs encircled around his waist allowed him to thrust deeper within her, exactly what she needed to reach an intense orgasm.

Seconds later, she felt him shuddering and after a final push, he collapsed completely in her embrace.

"God, I think I need another nap" He muttered, a lazy smile tugging the corners of his mouth. He looked utterly exhausted, with his laboured breath, but Phyllis thought he had never looked so attractive and couldn't help but reaching out to brush his messy hair. His look of pure adoration was more than she could handle at that moment.

"You certainly earned it" she replied with an impish smile. He looked away bashfully, moving away from her and sitting beside her. Although he tried to hide it, Phyllis could catch sight of a small lopsided grin on his face.

That was the Joseph Molesley she had grown to know; the quiet man who ducked his head when she told him she considered him indispensable at work and the one who found hard to believe when she marvelled the way he fixed her garden. Telling him that he had been amazing in bed would certainly be an impossible concept for him to accept.

His eyes were closed and his breathing was slowly returning back to normal. Sitting astride him, she leant forward to kiss him slowly down his chest, as if to reassure him. He had been the first one who put on her pleasure first; knowing instinctively what to do, where to touch… Nobody had ever cared if she enjoyed sex, but Joe was different. She barely knew him outside work, but he had treated better than most people in her whole life.

Pulling away from him to meet his eyes, she briefly wondered how on earth this wonderful man was still single, but seeing at how things had turned out for her, she wasn't going to complain. It had all started as a passionate, lustful encounter but now, with her sitting on his lap and with their fingers laced together, Phyllis just wanted to be close to him as long as she could. Holding his gaze, she leant forward again to capture his lips gently in hers.

"Thank you" she whispered squeezing his hands softly.

He beamed and his eyes shone raw with emotion. He kissed her knuckles almost reverently "Thank you"

They both chuckled as if trying to wipe away the intensity of the moment.

"I meant, not only for… this" she tried to explain "It's the way you've always been with me. You were the first one who approached me at work and offered what I really needed at that time. A true friendship. You are the first good thing happened to me in a very long time"

He sat forward and slid his arms around her, pulling her closer "You are the best thing happened to me… ever"

The intensity of his gaze was becoming too much to handle for her. Peter had never looked at her that way during their 5 year relationship. On the other hand, the devotion reflected on Joe's eyes was already there and they weren't anything officially. She realised that it wouldn't be too hard to fall head over heels with him.

"You said you had to go to your dad's" she mentioned out of the blue pressing her forehead against his.

He nodded, blushing furiously as he remembered that he had told her that early on and that's where he was supposed to go before surrendering to her kisses.

"Isn't he expecting you?"

"Yeah but I didn't specify the time I had to be there, so no need to worry. But… I think I should be really going"

"Right" she answered half disheartened as she moved away from him. He got up from the bed and started gathering his clothes from around the bedroom floor.

"Phyllis?"

"Yes?"

"I… I was wondering if you would like to go out and have dinner tonight… with me"

His nervousness couldn't be more endearing and if she was honest with herself, she couldn't wait to go on a proper date with him. A romantic dinner in a fancy restaurant; holding hands while walking back to her place; kissing him goodbye at her doorstep; not letting him leave… But today, she felt too exhausted to go out. Right now, the idea of ordering some food and making out with him in her sofa was far more appealing.

She shook her head and snuggled back into her pillows "Why don't we stay in instead? It could be… fun" she added raising her eyebrow suggestively. He sat down back on the bed to put on his socks and shoes, not facing her but visibly troubled. She worried that she could have had hurt his feelings somehow.

"Joe? What is it?"

He sighed "It's just… I want to do this right. I want to spend time with you. That's all I ever think about"

She fell silent taking her time to absorb what he had just said. "Joe. I can assure you've doing the right thing here"

Her attempt to humour him didn't seem to cause any effect on his mood so she moved to sit behind him, pressing herself on his bare back and sliding her arms around him. At the skin on skin contact, he shivered.

"I want to go out with you, Joe. I really do" she whispered, kissing the skin between his shoulder blades and trying desperately to put him at ease. His hand clutched hers and leant back slightly against her. "It's just… well… you really worn me out today. I'm not even sure I'll be able to walk"

Despite the intense blush on the tip of his ears and neck, he mirrored her smile, visibly relaxed and turn his head to capture her lips in his. It certainly felt good to be with someone who wasn't afraid to show vulnerability. It gave her an unusual and very gratifying feeling of strength.

"How about tomorrow? We could go to the cinema and then have some dinner"

He moved away from her to grab his shirt and she laid down on the bed, propping herself on her elbow, not bothering to cover up. When he turned to answer her, his eyes roamed over every inch of her exposed skin, settling finally on her breasts. That look was enough to stir her insides and make him go back to bed. She wanted him again.

"Mmm?"

She knew she shouldn't. The poor man was about to leave soon, but it was so tempting to tease him a little bit. She got up from the bed and stood before him, sliding her arms around his neck. He groaned at the contact of her breasts against his unbuttoned chest.

"Tomorrow. Cinema and dinner. You and me"

He nodded slowly, his eyes burying into hers and his hands caressing her lower back as he pressed his mouth to hers.

"Alright" he murmured between kisses.

"Good" she nodded and proceeded to button his shirt up "Glad that we had that sorted out"

His eyes never left her naked body as she moved away. He couldn't help it. In his whole life, he had never seen someone so beautiful as Phyllis. She had turned away from him to fetch her robe from the wardrobe but she could catch his gaze reflected on the mirror.

There was something else, though, in his look. Behind the unwavering adoration, a subtle hint of bewilderment was reflected in his eyes, as if he couldn't believe this was happening.

He was still looking at her, smiling and with a far away look that she found hard not to love.

"What's on your mind?" she asked tenderly touching his face.

"Just remembering… Trying to figure out if it actually happened" He replied shyly kissing her palm.

"It did" she assured, her voice muffled into Joe's shoulder as they embraced. "And I'm so glad"

They knew each other's story. They had spent so many afternoons in the common room talking about everything and nothing; the good and the bad; and eventually what it had broken their hearts.

She hugged him tighter as the memory of his words not long ago.

" _I know what it is; to feel fragile. But I also know that we are strong; stronger than most and we keep going, even when it seems there's no point to it"_

He was right. She had felt fragile for so long; vulnerable and worthless. But she had found a kindred spirit in Joe. Someone who understood her on so many levels and who had helped her to become stronger.

"I… I have to go" he whispered pulling her out of her reverie.

"Alright" she whispered back, cradling the back of his head and brushing her lips against his. "Come back later?" she asked almost pleadingly.

He nodded immediately, his kiss goodbye full of gentleness and hunger, a reminder of what they had shared and a sweet promise of what was to come. His eyes never left hers until he crossed the threshold of her bedroom door.

She let her breath out as soon as she heard the main door shut and everything came down to her. Looking around the room, she let the memories wash over her and realised how much she already missed him. A shower was going to be very welcome indeed, she thought. To cool down and who knows… maybe to relive those memories.

Later, after opening the windows to air the room and making the bed, she went down to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

It took her some minutes to find out the little item that wasn't there hours ago, but when she saw it, her heart melted for the thousandth time that day. There, on the kitchen window sill, a single red rose from her own garden. She smiled. Joe must had got it on his way out and put it there.

It was the note attached to the rose, though, what left her speechless and aching for that wonderful man that had come into her life.

"I'm not like him"


End file.
